Proclamation of 1763

Context

The context for the Proclamation of 1763 depended on one's location within the emerging British Empire. The act's implications differed according to whether the person considering it was within the chambers of Whitehall, residing in British North America, or living in an Indian community along the Appalachian divide. The proclamation transformed colonial-imperial land discussions and political relationships for the next decade. The edict challenged colonial conceptions about who “owned” the land and who should direct the settlement of it. The resulting salvos showed just how...